Marin Audubon Society

Nature's Best Hope
2023-01-11 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA, United States
Presentor: Doug Tallamy
Wednesday January 11, 2023
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Click HERE on the night of the program to join this Speaker Series – Passcode: [REDACTED] ** Please note this is a direct link to the webinar, and you will be able to join the meeting at 7 PM on January 11th. It will not work before then.
Recent headlines about global insect declines and three billion fewer birds in North America are a bleak reality check about how ineffective our current landscape designs have been at sustaining the plants and animals that sustain us. To create landscapes that enhance local ecosystems rather than degrade them, we must 1 remove the invasives on our property and 2) add the native plant communities that sustain food webs, sequester carbon, maintain diverse native bee communities, and manage our watersheds. If we do this in half of the area now in lawn, we can create Homegrown National Park, a 20 million acre network of viable habitats that will provide vital corridors connecting the few natural areas that remain. This approach to conservation empowers everyone to play a significant role in the future of the natural world.
Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 106 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 41 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His books include Bringing Nature Home, The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, Nature’s Best Hope, a New York Times Best Seller, The Nature of Oaks, winner of the American Horticultural Society’s 2022 book award. In 2021 he co-founded Homegrown National Park with Michelle Alfandari. His awards include recognition from The Garden Writers Association, Audubon, The National Wildlife Federation, Allegheny College, The Garden Club of America and The American Horticultural Association.
Tonight’s program is a Zoom presentation of Golden Gate Audubon Society, co-sponsored by Marin Audubon Society and other Bay Area Audubon chapters. The direct link to the program is below. No registration is required.

A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds
2023-02-16 18:00 - 20:00 | CA, United States
Thursday February 16th, 2023
Start Time: 6:00 PM
Speaker: Scott Weidensaul

This program is a Zoom presentation of Golden Gate Audubon Society, co-sponsored by Marin Audubon Society and others.
Please use THIS LINK the night of the Speaker Series. Password: [REDACTED]
Scientists continue to make astounding discoveries about the navigational and physiological feats that enable migratory birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, go weeks without sleep or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch. Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the Wing (2021), takes us around the globe — to the shores of the Yellow Sea in China, and the remote mountains of northeastern India where tribal villages saved the greatest gathering of falcons on the planet, to learn how people are fighting to understand and save the world’s great bird migrations.
Scott Weidensaul’s field research focuses on bird migration. He is a co-director of Project Owlnet, studying owl migration, and is a founder of the Critical Connections project, which is tracking the migration of birds that breed on National Park lands in Alaska. He co-founded the Northeast Motus Collaboration, which is creating a network of telemetry receivers to track the movements of bats, insects and small birds.
Image: Shorebirds swarm the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China, one of the most endangered migratory hotspots on the globe.
Photo by: Scott Weidensaul

Bay Area Mountain Lions – What We Know about Them and How They Fit into the Larger Statewide Population
2023-03-09 19:00 - 21:00 | CA, United States
Thursday March 9, 2023
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Winston Vickers
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Mountain Lions in California are fragmented into subpopulations by roads and development. The Bay Area populations to the north and south of San Francisco are separated from each other and are separated from others further south and east by roads, development, and agriculture. Those to the north are affected by increasing road traffic, agricultural conversions for the wine industry, and other factors. Dr. Vickers will discuss the state of current knowledge, legal status, and ongoing research and mitigation efforts that are focused on these populations.
Dr. Winston Vickers is a wildlife research veterinarian with the University of California-Davis Wildlife Health Center (WHC). He has been studying mountain lions and other wildlife in California for 20 years and directs the WHC’s California mountain lion study. He collaborates widely with other mountain lion researchers, as well as collaborating on studies involving bobcats, wolves, Channel Island foxes, Santa Cruz Island scrub jays, and waterfowl. He has also worked on oil spill response with the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at UC Davis.
Photo by: Winston Vickers

California Condor - Forever Free
2023-04-13 19:00 - 21:00 | CA, United States
Thursday April 13, 2023 – 7:00 pm
California Condor – Forever Free
Speaker: Kurt Leuschner
Register HERE for this Speaker Series Program
In this presentation you will learn about the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) – one of the largest and rarest birds in the world. Topics covered include: their conservation and natural history, recovery, reintroduction, and on-going preservation efforts (past and present), fun facts, and locations to see condors in the wild.
Kurt Leuschner is a Professor of Natural Resources at College of the Desert where he teaches courses on Conservation, Entomology, Field Ornithology, Native Plants and GPS Navigation. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from U.C. Santa Barbara and a Master’s in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida. He is the founder of the Desert Cities Bird Club and is the past president of Western Field Ornithologists and the Natural Science Collaborative of the Desert. His most recent publications are the Palms to Pines Birding and Nature Trail map and brochure and a Field Guide to Desert Golf Course Wildlife. Kurt also teaches weekend courses and workshops on birdwatching, insect, PGS and backyard habitats. His most recent research project involved the sound recording of the various subspecies of North American Scrub-Jays.
Photo: California Condor
Photo by: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Islands and Avian Evolution
2023-05-18 19:00 | CA, United States
Thursday May 18, 2023
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Bob Lewis
Please register HERE for this Speaker Series
Islands have played a key role in both the development of new avian species and the extinction of others. Because they are isolated land masses, species which arrive on islands evolve separately from their parent group and through genetic drift eventually become unique. But because island species are restricted to small areas and have small populations, they are also susceptible to chance events, human-caused pressures, and predation by introduced species and introduced diseases.
In this presentation, we will focus on the wonders of these unique island species, as well as discuss some of the issues and threats to island avians.
Bob Lewis trained as a chemist and worked in the energy field for 33 years. He’s taught birding classes in the Bay Area for over 25 years and served as the chair of Golden Gate Audubon’s Adult Education Committee. Recently he’s been giving classes and talks via Zoom. Bob was honored with American Birding Association’s “Chandler Robbins Award” for Education and Conservation in 2016, and Golden Gate Audubon’s “Paul Covel Education Award” in 2010 and 2017. He loves to travel and photograph birds and has chased birds in over 40 countries. His life list is over 5000 species.
Photo Credit: Bob Lewis

Marin Audubon Society Properties
2023-06-15 19:00 - 21:00 | CA, United States
Thursday June 15, 2023, 7:00 PM
Speaker: Jude Stalker
Register for this Speaker Series HERE
For almost twenty-five years Marin Audubon Society (MAS) has been acquiring wetlands (or historical wetlands) and adjacent upland properties in Marin County; restoring, stewarding, and preserving the land as valuable wildlife habitat. Some of these properties came very close to being developed but ended up with MAS due to the perseverance of those individuals who early on understood the value and importance of wetland habitat. Some have been stewarded by an impressive group of dedicated volunteers and enjoyed for their beauty and bountiful birdlife by many people throughout the years.
Jude Stalker will take you on a virtual tour of several of these properties and fill you in on the interesting ways that they were acquired and of how they have been restored, enhanced, and stewarded to support the many native plants and animals that are populating them now.
Jude is a wetland biologist who has worked in and around the SF bay wetlands for over twenty years. She is a long-time member of the board of MAS and spends much of her free time volunteering to help steward the MAS (and other) properties.
Photos: Bahia Property
Photo by: Jude Stalker

Hummingbirds
2023-09-14 19:00 - 21:00 | CA, United States
Thursday September 14, 2023
7:00pm – 9pm
Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
From Alaska to the high Andes of South America, join us as we explore the magic of hummingbirds!
With 360 species recognized globally, we’ll discuss their remarkable biology, expansive range, ecological significance, and the best way to attract them to your yard! Mouth-watering media and local hummingbird ID section included!
Speaker Bio: Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and operates a bird-guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). Working professionally for over 10 years as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide, Benny has worked in a variety of locations coast to coast, including exotic places such as coastal Alaska, Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Benny is a passionate educator and photographer, specializing in birds! Benny uses his ample collection of nature-based content to leverage an active social media presence. BIJS uses his passion for the natural world to inspire others to put down their phone and pick up their binoculars.
Photo: Sword-billed Hummingbird
Photo by: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz

Unique and Rare Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
2023-10-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday October 12, 2023
7:00pm-9:00pm
Unique and Rare Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
Speaker: John Sterling
Please register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
John will take us on a virtual tour of some of Africa’s most unique and rare birds from his travels in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and will discuss some of the threats and challenges for some of the endangered birds and their habitats.
He will be discussing conservation issues such as climate change and loss of habitat; and many of the species in peril, such as Montane Blue Swallow, Picathartes, Shoebill and Nahan’s Partridge. He will also talk about other bird families and species unique to the sub-Saharan region, such as Hammerkop, Ostriches, Turacos, Flufftails and Egyptian Plover.
Speaker Bio:
John has been actively birding since 1971 and embarked on a career in ornithology while a student at Humboldt State University in 1979. He has worked for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington DC, research labs of the US Forest Service, and many other organizations in Latin America and California.
Photo: Shoebill (whale-headed stork)
Photo by: John Sterling

My Favorite Birds of the Sierra Nevada
2023-11-09 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday November 9, 2023
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Rich Cimino
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Rich will be discussing and showcasing his favorite birds from the Sierra Nevada. He will share with us where he has photographed certain species and illustrate population distributions with maps. He will be discussing their various habitat requirements and conservation concerns.
Among other birds, Rich will be showing the Flammulated Owl, Clark’s Nutcracker, American Dipper, Nashville Warbler and Black Swift.
Speaker Bio:
Rich Cimino lives in Larkspur and is an active member of the Marin Audubon Society, where he participates in three Marin Christmas Bird Counts and the Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas. He has been birding Northern California for 55 years, leading Bay Area Audubon and Marin Audubon field trips. He is also active in conservation groups in Northern California, emphasizing preservation of habitat.
Photos: Summer Tanager
Photo by: Beverly Meekins, USFWS
Next Speaker – Thursday, December 14
Controlling Invasive Spartina and Protecting SF Bay Marsh Habitats, by the California Invasive Plant Council

Protecting Biodiversity and Facilitating Landscape-scale Tidal Marsh Restoration: Management of Invasive Spartina in the San Francisco Estuary
2023-12-14 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 7:00 pm – 9 pm
Speaker: Jen McBroom, California Invasive Plant Council
Register HERE for this Speaker Series Program
Topic:
San Francisco Bay is the largest estuary on the west coast of North America and a critical stopover along the Pacific Flyway migration route for millions of shorebirds and waterfowl. Rimming the Bay between freeways, airports, and landfills remain precious tidal wetlands and opportunities to return salt evaporator ponds to functioning ecosystems. Since 2005, the Coastal Conservancy’s Invasive Spartina Project has used airboats, genetic testing, sophisticated GIS, and a lot of hard, muddy work to push back the invasive plants that threaten habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl, and the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse. Learn about how hometown heroes are doing their part to address the global biodiversity crisis.
Speaker Bio:
Jen McBroom is a biologist at Olofson Environmental Inc. and has been counting Ridgway’s rails for the Invasive Spartina Project since 2005. She got her start in the tidal wetlands of the San Francisco Bay studying song sparrows and marsh wrens after finishing her degree at UC Davis. Since then, she has logged many hours in muddy boots mapping invasive plants and observing the wildlife at the edge of the Bay.
Photo: Marsh along San Leandro Bay
Photo by: Simon Gunner
Next Speaker – Thursday, January 11, 2024
Northern Spotted Owls, by Taylor Ellis, National Park Service

Northern Spotted Owls
2024-01-11 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, January 11, 2024
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Taylor Ellis, U.S. National Park Service
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Taylor will discuss Marin’s unique spotted owl population, which is geographically and genetically distinct from other northern spotted owl populations to our north. Northern spotted owls are considered an indicator species of healthy forests and were federally listed as a threatened subspecies in the 1990s and have been monitored closely by the National Park Service and Point Blue since then. Taylor will discuss the main threats to Marin’s spotted owls, including the threat from barrel owls, who have taken over most of the nesting sites for spotted owls to our north. He will also discuss what makes Marin’s spotted owl population so unique relative to others.
Speaker Bio:
Taylor Ellis is a wildlife technician at Point Reyes National Seashore, where he implements the northern spotted owl monitoring program as well as monitoring other wildlife species throughout the year. Taylor has been working with spotted owls for 20 breeding seasons since first interning with the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico in 2003. Taylor received his M.S. in Biology from Sonoma State University after studying the indirect impacts of tule elk on small mammal populations at Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Photos: Northern Spotted Owl
Photo by: Taylor Ellis
Next Speaker – Thursday, February 8, 2024
Snowy Plover – by Matthew Lau, National Park Service

Snowy Plovers
2024-02-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Thursday, February 8, 2024
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Matthew Lau, U.S. National Park Service
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
There is a small but locally significant breeding population of western snowy plovers at Point Reyes National Seashore. They are federally listed as Threatened and California state listed as a Species of Special Concern, but the local breeding population size has been gradually increasing over the past half decade due to intensive management and monitoring across the range. Matt will present on the fascinating breeding biology of western snowy plovers, cover local conservation issues that snowy plovers face, and review local population trends and ongoing research and management at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Speaker Bio:
Matt is a wildlife biologist with Point Reyes National Seashore and leads the management and monitoring program for western snowy plovers. He has worked with snowy plovers for over a decade, at Point Reyes National Seashore and in northern California while working on his master’s degree at Cal Poly Humboldt. As a National Park Service biologist, he also conducts surveys of breeding northern elephant seals, Point Reyes Mountain beavers, and tule elk. His interests include shorebird ecology, bat conservation, spatial ecology, conservation education, and diversity and inclusion work.
Photo: Queen of Limantour
Photo by: NPS/Matt Lau
Next Speaker Series
“Avian Diversity”
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Speaker: Jordan Boersma, Cornell Ornithology Lab

Re-discovering and Conserving the Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon, A Critically Endangered Species
2024-03-14 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, March 14, 2024
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Jordan Boersma, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Register HERE for this speaker series
Topic:
Jordan will discuss the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon, a critically endangered species that hasn’t been documented by scientists since it was first described in 1882. In 2022, Jordan and his team embarked on an expedition to Fergusson Island, Papua New Guinea, and by leveraging the natural history knowledge of local hunters, was able to confirm the existence of this species, known locally as Auwo., thus demonstrating the invaluable role of Indigenous communities in ongoing efforts to relocate species lost to Western science. Plans are to build on the partnerships formed in 2022 to help conserve this elusive and culturally important species and continue to uncover natural history information about Auwo and other endemic taxa on Fergusson island.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Jordan Boersma’s interest in animals led to pursuing a degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. While there, he got involved in a local study on nesting songbirds, which led to an opportunity in the same research group in Malaysian Borneo, where he spent four long field seasons before pursuing a Ph. D at Washington State University. During his extensive field seasons in New Guinea, he learned that Indigenous people harbored immense knowledge of local fauna and is now working with local communities to study and conserve rare and potentially imperiled species.
Photos: Black-naped Pheasant-pigeon
Photo by: Jordan Boersma

Monarch Butterfly
2024-04-11 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, April 11th
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Mia Monroe and Ole Schell
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Where have all the monarchs gone? Recent population trends and data on the Monarch Butterfly will be shared, as well as the good habitat work going on throughout Marin, especially Ole Schell’s West Marin Monarch Sanctuary. Tips for how you can help will be offered, and a few controversies will be discussed, such as the role of eucalyptus and the dangers of tropical milkweed. Local photographers will be featured, and the work of the Marin Monarch Working Group will be a focus.
Speaker Bio:
Mia Monroe is a Xerces Society volunteer, organizer of the Western Monarch Count over 25 years ago and is active in monarch butterfly conservation in California.
Ole Schell is an award-winning filmmaker, director, and farmer, who grew up in Bolinas on his father’s Niman/Schell Ranch, where the annual arrival of thousands of Western Monarch butterflies was a dependable autumn phenomenon, and where he has established a Western Monarch Butterfly sanctuary on his family land.
Photo by:Olga Rodriguez

Ethical Wildlife Photography
2024-05-09 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, May 9, 2024
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Sarah Killingsworth
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Wildlife photography is an increasingly popular hobby, and time in nature observing wildlife can bring great joy to a photographer. Wildlife images can be powerful tools for conservation and education. At the same time, our time with wildlife impacts the individual animal and potentially the entire ecosystem. Using her own photos to highlight the concepts, Sarah will discuss photography ethics and etiquette – what they are, and why they matter. She will also share tips for photographing our natural world in ways that create impactful images.
Speaker Bio:
Sarah Killingsworth is an award-winning wildlife conservation photographer and filmmaker who has always loved wildlife and exploring wild places. Passionate about stories of coexistence, especially with native predators, Sarah is inherently curious about the intersection of humans and wildlife habitats, how wildlife adapts to ever-encroaching human development as well as ways we can work to protect species before they become endangered. A certified California Naturalist, Sarah is a member of the Board of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin and the NANPA Ethics Committee and is also the Program Chair for the Keeping it Wild Youth Education and Outreach Program with Project Coyote. Her images have been published, in print and online, by a variety of publications, including National Wildlife Magazine, The Hill, bioGraphic, Bay Nature, and Audubon.
Photo: Bobcat
Photo by: Sarah Killingsworth
Next Speaker – Thursday, June 13, 2024
Nils Warnock, Declining Shorebird Populations

Marin's Declining Shorebirds
2024-06-13 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, June 13, 2024
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Nils Warnock
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic: Nils will talk about the status and trends of our North America shorebirds, with a focus on Pacific Flyway birds, particularly those that occur in Marin County. He will first discuss how shorebirds around the world and in the USA are doing and then talk about the results of a 30+ year winter shorebird monitoring program that Audubon Canyon Ranch has been conducting at Tomales Bay since 1989. Overall, numbers of wintering shorebirds on Tomales Bay have declined by over 65% over the past decades with Dunlin and Western Sandpipers among the biggest losers. Of the 14 taxa that ACR analyzed, 3 increased over the past 30 years, 1 stayed stable, and 11 species declined. Nils will discuss potential reasons why our shorebird populations have declined and what we might do about it.
Speaker Bio: Nils Warnock has been the Director of Conservation Science for Audubon Canyon Ranch since 2018 and lives on Tomales Bay in Marshall, CA. He has a PhD in Ecology from the University of California at Davis and San Diego State University. Nils started his ornithological career in West Marin at the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (now Point Blue), where, most recently, he was the co-director of the Wetlands Division from 2000-2008. From 2010-2018, Nils served as the executive director of Audubon Alaska and as a vice president of the National Audubon Society. Nils is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and has 40 years of experience working with Pacific Flyway birds, especially shorebirds.
Photo: Marin Shorebirds
Photo by: Nils Warnock

Vagrancy in Birds
2024-09-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, September 12th
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Daniel Edelstein
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic: Do you chase rare birds that accidentally occur in our area outside of their normal migration range? If so, you enjoy finding vagrant birds, a phenomenon many Marin County birders pursue at the Outer Point within Point Reyes National Seashore and other California coastal areas. This presentation will highlight the reasons for vagrancy in birds, noting how birds navigate during migration and reasons for their orientation errors that result in their unexpected presence primarily from mid-August through October in west Marin County. In addition, the discovery of vagrancy at the Outer Point by Rich Stallcup and David DeSante will be discussed, along with the role vagrancy may play in colonization and eventual speciation of birds.
Speaker Bio: Daniel Edelstein is a freelance Consulting Biologist (who is a Certified Wildlife Biologist Asc.) who has led birding tours for more than 25 years and presented public birding presentations in more than 20 states. Daniel’s web site — WarblerWatch.com — hosts several birding handouts (via the “Birding Links” pulldown menu) and his warbler-centric blog — WarblerWatch.blogspot.com— has hosted warbler articles and photo quizzes since 2007. He has also taught diverse adult birding classes since 2003 at Merritt College in Oakland, CA and for the Pt. Reyes Nat. Seashore Assn., Marin Audubon, and Golden Gate Bird Alliance.

Raptor Quest: Chasing America's Raptors
2024-10-10 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, October 10th
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Scott Harris (Author & Photographer)
Register HERE For this Speaker Series
Scott Harris will be discussing his book “Raptor Quest: Chasing America’s Raptors”, which documents his 17-month adventure tracking 53 raptor species across 34 states in the US, from the common (Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons) to the rare (Bat Falcon, Steller’s Sea Eagle and Eurasian Eagle Owl). He will share photographs and stories of the many species he encountered; and relate stories of the places and various individuals he met along the way, including adventures, mid-adventures, successes and failures.
Scott is a wildlife photographer, author and speaker, who moved to South Carolina from southern California in 2020, when he first started birding, a hobby he never imagined himself participating in, but now can’t imagine living without. While in California, he had a syndicated newspaper column and two weekly radio shows and has authored over fifty books, mostly Westerns and Children’s books, and has just returned from safari in Africa.
Photo: Bald Eagle by Scott Harris
Next Speaker – Thursday, November 14, 2024
Josiah Clark – Christmas Bird Count

Christmas Bird Count
2024-11-14 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, November 14, 2024
7:00PM – 9:00PM
Speaker: Josiah Clark
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Josiah will speak to us about the upcoming Christmas Bird Count (CBC), the annual early-winter bird census conducted in December. Josiah will be discussing counting strategies and best practices for counting birds and covering areas on the count, including the virtues of the count circle, methods for preventing undercounting, tips on note taking and how good CBC coverage and data collecting habits set the stage for increasing numbers of detections and the accuracy of counts. He will also discuss strategies for promoting the CBC and attracting younger birders.
Speaker Bio:
Josiah Clark grew up steeped in the natural history of the Bay Area, where he has been birding for more than 20 years. Some of his defining birding experiences include observation and mist-netting on Southeast Farallon Island; extensive travel, study, and tour-leading in Latin America; and a 24-hour birding and bicycling marathon in Marin County during which he spotted 158 species. Josiah runs Habitat Potential, dedicated to interpreting, preserving, and creating productive wildlife habitats in the Bay Area human landscape.

Next Speaker – Thursday, December 12, 2024
Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca
Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz

Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca
2024-12-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Speaker: Benny Jacobs-Schwartz
More information coming soon!

Colombia: South America’s Birding Capital
2024-12-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, December 12, 2024
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Speaker; Benny Jacobs-Schwartz
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Get ready for a dive into South America’s birdiest country! Together we’ll explore Colombia’s unique ecology, breathtaking scenery, and unparalleled avian diversity! Colombia holds the record with nearly 2,000 bird species and an impressive 80 endemics!
During our time together, we’ll discuss what has given rise to such incredible diversity. Topics include the country’s five regions, how the Andes Mountain Range formed into three distinct cordilleras, the importance of the mighty Rio Magdalena, and national conservation successes. From sloth-eating Harpy Eagles to shy antpittas, and menageries of colorful tanagers and hummingbirds, Colombia’s astonishing diversity will leave you wanting more!
Speaker Bio:
Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz owns and operates a bird-guiding business and lifestyle brand called BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced Bee-jus). With a background in biology, ecology, and outdoor education, Benny has worked for over 13 years as a naturalist guide, expedition trip leader, and international bird guide. Benny offers guided birding outings in Southern California and small-group birding tours to his favorite tropical locales like Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Benny is a passionate educator and photographer, specializing in birds! Benny is active on social media where he creates fun, educational videos and posts to inspire others about the natural world with the goal of getting folks to put down their phones and pick up their Binos.
Next Speaker: Migratory Shorebirds
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Speaker: Matt Reiter (Point Blue)

Migratory Shore Bird Project: Connecting Communities of the Americas through Research for Conservation
2025-01-09 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, January 9, 2025
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Matthew Reiter – Point Blue Conservation Science
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Shorebirds are some of the most migratory species on the planet. However, their populations in the Western Hemisphere have been declining over the past 40 years. To better understand what is driving changes in shorebird populations and to turn data into knowledge and then conservation action, in 2011 Point Blue and partners launched a coordinated research, monitoring and conservation network for shorebirds in the Pacific Americas Flyway. The Migratory Shorebird Project is now a network of over 50 partners in 13 countries from Canada to Chile working together to study shorebirds and shorebird habitats and to implement conservation actions at scales that are relevant for these long-distance travelers.
Speaker Bio:
As a Research Director and quantitative ecologist with Point Blue Conservation Science, Dr. Matt Reiter’s work focuses on the ecology and conservation of migratory waterbirds and their wetland habitats in order to understand the impacts of threats such as habitat loss and climate change across broad migratory landscapes. Matt received an M.S. (2006) and Ph.D. (2009) in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Minnesota and has been at Point Blue since 2009.
Next Speaker:
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide
Speaker: Jeff Miller

Bay Area Wildlife Guide
2025-02-13 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Speaker: Jeff Miller
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Jeff Miller will discuss his book ‘Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide’, a quirky and entertaining wildlife guide to the greater San Francisco Bay Area, which invites readers to connect with and conserve local species. Featuring over 100 native creatures, from mammals to invertebrates, this informative primer is a treasure map for regional wildlife. Learn about the Bay Area’s furred, feathered, and fork- tongued neighbors—from “screaming death parrots” (aka peregrine falcons) to “bad-ass Looney Tunes velociraptors” (roadrunners). The book’s colorful descriptions cover each species’ natural history and fun facts, tips on when and where to find watchable wildlife, and notes on each animal’s conservation status.
Jeff Miller is an amateur naturalist and professional conservationist, and is the founder of the nonprofit Alameda Creek Alliance, serving as its executive director since 1997. He is a senior conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, spearheading biodiversity protection campaigns throughout the Bay Area and California. Over the last quarter century, he has been involved in conservation efforts for dozens of the most iconic imperiled wildlife species in the Bay Area, from tule elk to steelhead trout.

Beavers
2025-03-13 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, March 13th
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speaker: Heidi Perryman
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Beavers and their dams create wetlands, store and filter water, augment fish populations, raise the number of migratory and songbirds, and have a dramatic positive impact on biodiversity. Dr. Perryman will discuss how working to help people understand and coexist with this single species will continue to have a beneficial trickle-down impact on both humans and wildlife and improve resilience to ongoing climate changes.
Speaker Bio:
Heidi Perryman, Ph.D., is a child psychologist who became an accidental beaver advocate when beavers moved into her hometown in 2006. She started the organization “Worth A Dam” to coordinate solutions and educate others about their value in the watershed. She has helped coordinate information and network support with other beaver advocates across North America and Europe, and her website martinezbeavers.org is an important source of information and advocacy for the species.

Farallon Islands – A Place Like No Other
2025-04-10 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, April 10, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Pete Warzybok – Point Blue Conservation Science
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Take a deep dive into the Farallon Islands, where Point Blue biologists have spent more than 58 years living and working on the islands. Learn about the 500 thousand seabirds, tens of thousands of pinnipeds, and other wildlife who call these islands home and hear about the threats they face living in an ever-changing environment and some conservation success stories.
Speaker Bio:
Pete Warzybok is a Principal Scientist and Farallon Program Leader with Point Blue Conservation Science. Pete’s work focuses on the ecology and conservation of marine ecosystems, overseeing research activities at Point Blue’s long-term research station on Southeast Farallon Island. Pete has been with the Farallon Program since 2000, and his current research interests include the study of seabird diet and foraging ecology and the impact of ecosystem variability on breeding success and population dynamics of Farallon seabirds and pinnipeds.

Flycatchers - Identification Demystified
2025-05-08 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, May 8, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Cin-Ty Lee & Andy Birch, Rice University
Register HERE for this Speaker Series
Topic:
Flycatchers are a difficult group of birds to identify. Cin-Ty Lee and Andrew Birch will guide you through the basics of flycatcher identification using a holistic approach. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use relative field marks, such as proportional lengths of tail and primaries, plumage contrasts, bill shape and size, and more. We will also discuss the importance of migration timing and vocalizations in identification.
Speaker Bio:
Cin-Ty Lee is a geologist. Andy Birch is a professional illustrator. Both Cin-Ty and Andy have had a lifelong passion in tackling challenging bird identifications. Together, they have produced the two volume Princeton Field Guide to North American Flycatchers. They are currently working on volume 3, which will include photographs and more of Andy’s illustrations.

Regionally Advancing Living Shorelines Project
2025-06-12 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, June 12, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Marilyn Latta, California State Coastal Conservancy
Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
Marilyn Latta will share information about living shorelines efforts in San Francisco Bay, including design and monitoring data from the San Rafael Living Shorelines Project, a mix of oyster reefs and eelgrass bed plantings in a multi-objective and experimental living shorelines design. Marilyn will share updates on how this and other pilot projects are providing lessons learned and best practices in support of the Regionally Advancing Living Shorelines in San Francisco Bay Project.
Speaker Bio:
Marilyn Latta is a Project Manager with the California State Coastal Conservancy, a state agency that works to protect and enhance the 1200-mile California coast. She holds a dual degree in Marine Biology/Zoology from Humboldt State University and has worked for multiple education and policy organizations on projects ranging from community-based restoration to planning and implementing large capital projects.

Their Year in Birding
2025-09-11 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, September 11, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speakers: Larry Nigro & Molly Donohue
Event is free. Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
In 2024, Larry and Molly planned a transcontinental birding trip from Fairfax to Key West Florida to identify at least 700 species in the American Birding Association (ABA) They added a trip to Alaska, with the chance of identifying a total of 800 species.
In their presentation, Larry and Molly will re-live their favorite birding moments of 2024, from the cliffs of the Alaskan Pribilof Islands to the southern tip of the Florida Keys. Their slideshow will cover their search for birds like the Golden-Winged Warbler, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Black-capped Vireo, Steller’s Sea Eagle, Masked Booby, Kirtland’s Warbler, Ross’s gull, Spectacled Eider, Snowy Owl and so much more.
Speaker Bios:
Larry Nigro is a retired Marin County school teacher. His birding started with taking students on bird walks. Now retired he has completed the Master Birding Program at California Academy of Sciences, the California Naturalist Program and numerous volunteer birding surveys including Marin Bird Breeding Atlas II.
Molly Donahue is an educator and nature enthusiast from West Marin. She has been exploring Marin hills since she was a child and now loves to adventure and bird with her husband, Larry Nigro. She is a certified California Naturalist and participated in the Marin County Bird Breeding Atlas. Sharing, learning, and exploring our natural world is one of her greatest joys.

Aves Argentinas: From Rescue to Resilience
2025-10-09 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, October 9, 2025
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speakers: Hernan Casanas and Tamara Zalewski
Event is free. Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
For over a century, Aves Argentinas has been at the forefront of bird and nature conservation in Argentina. As the country’s leading ornithological and conservation NGO and the national partner of BirdLife International, its mission is to protect birds and biodiversity through science, education, advocacy, and collaboration.
Hernan and Tamara will discuss how by tending to critically endangered bird species and landscapes they have built large-scale conservation programs.
Speaker Bios:
Hernan Casanas
Hernan is the Executive Director of Aves Argentinas, responsible for the organization’s strategies and the building of strategic alliances, which have been instrumental in the creation of national protected areas. He has a degree in Biological Sciences from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and has written over 100 publications on the environment and ornithology.
Tamara Zalewski
Tamara grew up in Patagonia, where she learned to love and care for nature from a young age. She graduated from college with a degree in fine arts but went to work to protect nature professionally. She leads partnership development efforts, looking for partners worldwide who are driven to save species and ecosystems.

Motus Wildlife Tracking System
2025-11-13 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday, November 13
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Speaker: Kianna Leung
Event is free. Register HERE for this speaker series.
Topic:
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System (‘Motus’) is an international collaborative research network that uses automated radio telemetry to study the movements of birds, bats, and insects. Motus, meaning “movement” in Latin, uses coordinated arrays of receiver stations that detect animals carrying miniaturized radio transmitters, enabling researchers to simultaneously track hundreds of individuals at local to hemispheric scales. Developed as a program of Birds Canada, Motus provides key insights into animal movement and behavior that are fundamental to wildlife conservation and habitat management. This presentation will provide an overview of the Motus system and its research applications.
Speaker Bio:
Kianna Leung is a Motus Technician with Birds Canada and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is currently working to support the growth of the Motus network in Western Canada and has assisted with the development and implementation of Motus-based research projects across northern British Columbia. Since joining the BC Motus team in 2022, Kianna has had the pleasure of collaborating on projects focusing on White-throated Sparrows and Bank Swallows.
